Fortune
by AmaiTsumi
Summary: Fortune knocks once at everyone's door. Translation of a pixiv fic.
1. Chapter 1

Konnichiwa~!

Presenting another wonderful KidLaw AU epic by author ぱるるぅた~~

This one's gonna be loooooooooooooonggggggg~~~ But please stick with this beautiful story till the end! m(_ _)m

Enjoy!

Betaed by the lovely **beposbutt**.

Original fic (pixiv,net/series,php?id=277975) Replace all commas with full stops~

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><p><strong>FORTUNE: CHAPTER 1<strong>

**~A chance acquaintance is a divine ordinance.~**

**XxXxXxX**

Trafalgar Law and Eustass Kid were "acquaintances". Nothing more, nothing less.

They attended the same high school, but it was only during their final year that they were assigned to the same class. Thus, they weren't particularly close. Though they exchanged greetings every day, they spent their time with separate groups of friends. Throughout the year, they sat in adjacent seats in class; but that was the limit of their relationship.

They would then progress down their own paths; attending separate universities, pursuing different disciplines, and then finally moving onto their respective careers. It wouldn't have been surprising if this had continued on forever with the two men never again crossing paths; their brief relationship ending at an anticlimactic manner leading to nothing more an insignificant memory of a minor acquaintance.

However, life is often filled with unexpected twists and turns.

It happened that day, when Law returned home late from working overtime. The only trains running at such a late hour were all local trains, and he had no choice but to board one on his way home. Sometimes, he would meet old friends taking the same train, and they would chat and reminisce about the good old days until one of them reached their destination. These conversations always made nostalgia bloom in Law's heart, and it was on one such day that the topic turned towards a possible reunion of old high school friends.

Law agreed readily to attend, assuming that it would be a small, intimate affair, since it would probably be difficult to contact and gather many people after so much time had passed since their school years. However, he'd grossly underestimated his friend's influence; the gathering came to fruition, with an unexpectedly large number of attendees.

He knew he was bad with crowds, but since he'd already agreed to go, it would be impolite not to. And it was during this gathering at a local pub when he met Kid again.

At first, Kid was just another face in the crowd, as everyone stuck with their old cliques. However, as the night wore on, with alcohol in abundance, everyone soon loosened up and the entire group gathered together, eager to share their latest stories and exploits. Thus far, Law had escaped by sharing the barest and most minimal trivialities about himself, taking care not to overconsume too much and divulge too much in drunken revelry. He had skeletons he'd prefer to remain hidden, afterall. But now, as they went round in a circle, each person taking a turn to share in detail, he soon found himself caught.

No, there was much he couldn't share, especially certain recent incidents from the past year. Yet it would be suspicious if he kept silent now. That would have been acceptable earlier on in the night, but now, with everyone's attention upon him, it was impossible to hide away any longer.

It was doubly unfortunate that, despite his precautions, he had had a bit too much to drink. Law knew that it was risky to come up with a complete fabrication to appease his friends; he just couldn't trust his slightly foggy mind to form a believable, coherent story right now.

So, left without a choice, conceded his struggles with a recent situation, taking care to leave out and change certain details. In short, due to a job transfer, he was currently in the midst of relocating. Unable to find suitable accommodations, he had been spending the past few nights in a cheap hotel.

Concern for his well-being came immediately; some expressed sympathy about his circumstances, while others were worried about the high cost of staying long-term at a hotel. Law accepted it all with a strained smile.

But instead of letting the issue go, as he had hoped, his friends took it upon themselves to come up with ways to ease his burden. Law cursed inwardly, it must have been the alcohol that made these people so meddlesome.

Much to his displeasure, a serious discussion ensued, with everyone coming up with suggestions on finding Law a place to stay for the night, then moving on to helping him locate a good place to rent.

Soon, someone recommended Kid's apartment. Apparently the redhead had been living together with his girlfriend, but since they'd broke up recently, Kid had been living alone ever since. Because it was a hassle to shift to a new, smaller apartment, he had stayed, leaving the woman's old bedroom vacant.

"I've shifted some things inside for storage, but if you don't mind..."

Kid left the rest of the invitation unspoken as he gave Law an uninterested glance, a cigarette resting between his lips.

Of course, Law did his very best to politely reject the offer. It was unthinkable, living together with a man he barely knew. He couldn't, he just couldn't.

However, the rest of the group insisted, and in his efforts to get them off his back, Law agreed to stay, at least for that night. With the matter settled, everyone was satisfied that they'd done well and the conversation proceeded on to the next topic of interest. Some time later, the pub took their last orders, and the party soon got ready to leave.

Outside the pub, the group divided into two; one that would continue their pub crawl till morning, the other consisting of those who had work tomorrow, and had to head on home. Kid and Law bade farewell to their friends, then set off together.

As the pub was located close to Kid's apartment, the two decided to walk home. Along the way, they didn't exchange a single word, and a dreary mood settled around them.

Law's mind was reeling. He kept a secret, one that he had omitted when telling his story during the gathering earlier; it was a secret that he couldn't let Kid find out. And he was terrified, because if Kid really insisted that Law stay on for more than one night, he would definitely be exposed.

Law couldn't have Kid find out that he was gay. The job transfer had been a lie. A few days ago, he had been chased out of his home by his now ex-boyfriend, after a fight which ended in an ugly break-up.

It was true that he'd spent the past few nights at a hotel, and that he was facing trouble with accommodations, but he had been determined to look for a good place to rent.

But right now, this unwelcome favour stank of nothing but trouble. Because society was still quite unaccepting of his kind, and Law had lost more than a few friends due to his sexual orientation. The dark-haired man was certain that, should Kid ever find out, the redhead would surely share this delicious gossip with all their high school classmates. He could already see them looking at him differently; ostracizing him and keeping their distance. Law didn't want that.

However, it was too late to change his mind now and escape from Kid's offer. Besides, doing so could end up raising even more questions and rumours. No, he would stay the night. Then, when morning came, he would decline any more of Kid's hospitality and take his leave.

"We're here."

It was a large apartment located at the corner of the second floor. Opening the door, Kid detached a key from his key holder and held it out to Law.

"This one's for you."

'But I'll be leaving tomorrow,' Law wanted to say. But he quietly accepted it for now as he entered the apartment, noting the large number of shoes arranged neatly at the entrance hall. The kitchen was neat and tidy too, and a quick glance into the bathroom revealed the same.

Kid led him past the kitchen, and opened a door on the left to reveal a room. Law spotted a table and sofa, as well as what looked like a stove, covered with tarp, pushed into the corner. There were also numerous boxes, probably holding seasonal clothes like winter coats and such. Without any other large pieces of furniture like a wardrobe or bed, the room seemed quite spacious. Even though he was determined not to stay, Law knew a decent room when he saw one, as he mentally decorated the room with a bed and other essential furnishings.

The question now was, where could he sleep tonight? His eyes landed on the sofa.

"Oh... I don't have any extra futon..."

The same problem seemed to have occured to Kid, as his brow furrowed in thought. An awkwardness immediately filled Law's gut. He shouldn't have agreed to stay, it was really just too sudden.

Thankfully, it was not winter. Spring had just ended, so Law surmised that he would do fine on the sofa, as long as he could borrow a large towel as a make-shift blanket. He was about to voice this suggestion when Kid spoke up.

"My bed's quite big... Shall we sleep together tonight?"

The image of Kid sharing his bed with a women briefly crossed Law's mind, but it was the thought of himself sleeping in the same bed as the redhead that left him most uncomfortable. Technically, they could sleep on opposite ends, but the idea of them in bed together still left the smaller man with a strange taste in his mouth. Law shook his head vehemently.

"No?"

Law shook his head again.

"But you're gay, right?"

Law froze, unable to breathe. His mind reeled with shock as he frantically replayed the evening's gathering in his mind, trying to recall if he'd drunkenly blurted out his secret. He just couldn't remember, and right now, he didn't know if he should deny the fact. His eyes darted about the room, as if searching for an escape route, before realizing that this evasive reaction was all Kid needed to confirm his suspicion.

Law felt his world coming to an end, as a wave of fear swamped his heart.

"Don't worry, I won't tell," Kid added quickly, noting Law's panic.

"B-but... how did you know...?"

Afterward, Law would beat himself up for admitting to it so easily, but right now, he was in too much of a panic to realize what he was saying.

"Well, I usually take a shortcut past this love hotel when on my way home from work... About a month ago... I saw you leave the hotel, with a man."

Law knew exactly which hotel Kid was referring to. It was the only one he'd frequented, with many men, and recently with his ex-boyfriend.

The thought that anyone would recognize him had never even crossed his mind.

"When I saw you, I knew I remembered you from somewhere, but I just couldn't recall. It only came back to me when I saw you at the reunion today."

Law wanted to dig a hole and bury himself deep inside.

"Anyway, I know it's none of my business, but I think it'll be better if you stopped seeing that man. I've seen him visit the hotel many times, with different men and women too. It's just stupid, going to the same place. He could have picked somewhere else if he wanted to cheat. It's almost as if he wants to get caught."

Yes, Law had had his suspicions that his ex-lover was unfaithful, but to have it confirmed, to learn that the reality was so much worse than what he'd imagined... Law almost wished he had never found out. He knew he shouldn't be so concerned; they'd already broken up, afterall. But it still stung bitterly, like rubbing salt into an open wound, and Law feared that the trauma he'd kept locked away would now burst forth and consume him again.

"It's ok... We've already broken up," he managed to whisper.

Kid seemed satisfied as he shrugged nonchalantly. Grunting a reply, he guided Law towards the master bedroom. Leaving him at the doorway, the redhead moved to his closet and pulled out a shirt and pants. Looking back, he saw the smaller man still standing awkwardly in the corridor.

"What are you standing there for? Come in and sleep. You have work tomorrow, right?"

It seemed that, despite everything, Kid was still determined to share his bed. The redhead quickly changed out of his street clothes, then moved to dim the lighting in the room. That done, he flopped onto the bed and burrowed under the covers.

"Good night."

With that, he turned his back on Law.

"...You can't be serious..."

Law's incredulous whisper were the last words they exchanged that night.

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><p>Please leave a review or comment if you can. All of them will be translated and presented to the original author. (・ω・*)<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Hello!

Sorry for making everyone wait so long between updates! I promise to try to update sooner next time! m(_ _)m

Please enjoy the new chapter~~

Betaed by the lovely **beposbutt**.

Original fic (pixiv,net/series,php?id=277975) Replace all commas with full stops~

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><p><strong>FORTUNE: CHAPTER 2<strong>

**~Misery loves company.~**

**XxXxXxX**

After that first night in Kid's house, Law had wanted to leave as soon as morning came. However, after the alcohol had worn off and he could think properly once again, the prospect of renting the room from Kid suddenly seemed extremely tempting.

The apartment was situated at quite a good location and was within commuting distance to his workplace. Furthermore, though Kid had discovered the secret Law had worked so desperately to keep hidden, the other man had shown none of the usual signs of disgust or hatred.

Should he leave now, he'd surely return to spending his nights at a hotel. If that was the case, Law was all too happy to feed off Kid's hospitality, at least until he found more suitable living accommodations.

And so began their days of living together as flatmates. It was a simple life in which both men would leave for their respective jobs during the day, then return in the evenings to shower and sleep. Kid had insisted he cover the utility bills, so Law only had to contribute half of the monthly rent. Since he was just starting out on his own again after the break-up and needed the money to get back on track, Law thanked his lucky stars for Kid's generosity.

However, Law knew that he shouldn't rely too much on the redhead. Kid had no obligation to accommodate him, after all, they had never been particularly close friends to begin with. The dark-haired man wondered if Kid would soon tire of sharing his living space and kick him out without warning one day. The thought drove Law to redouble his efforts at searching for an apartment to rent.

But with the burden of work and other affairs eating up his time, weeks passed and Law found himself still without any options. In fact, he had settled down nicely at Kid's place, which further depleted his motivation to move.

This was because Kid was more generous than Law had ever imagined. When Law brought up the issue of moving, Kid had looked genuinely baffled, asking why the smaller man wished to move. To have his place invaded by a random acquaintance -a homosexual at that- during a drunken party... Law wondered if Kid had a screw loose somewhere. Did he really not care? Law honestly had no clue.

After that conversation, the search for new housing dropped off Law's priority list. He tried not to think of himself as weak-willed for giving up so easily.

And before they knew it, an entire year had gone by. In that time, their relationship had progressed from simple acquaintances to friends. But their affinity had not shifted beyond that.

Though they had known each other since high school and spent the past year as flatmates, they had not become close friends. The fact of the matter was that the two spent most of the time living their own separate lives.

True, work took up a large portion of their schedule, but they'd never considered spending their free time during the weekends with each other.

It was mostly because Kid had gotten another girlfriend, and Law himself had also started a relationship with a new man. Sometimes, Kid would bring the girl home, and Law would take the hint, packing a small overnight bag and crashing at a friend's place. In contrast, Law never brought his new boyfriend back to the apartment.

With their time and efforts focused on their respective lovers, the two gradually grew apart again and their relationship shifted back to that of mere flatmates.

But there was one problem; both Kid and Law had no luck with romance. Neither of their relationships lasted more than a month. The usual length was two weeks; sometimes only one. Law held the record for the shortest relationship: one that only lasted three days.

The break-ups usually occurred after the other party cheated or became physically violent. It was as if the two men were magnets for trouble.

It happened once again when Kid agreed to break up with his latest girlfriend the previous day. She had been using his money to finance numerous shopping trips and her extravagant lifestyle, and now, she had finally asked for him to become a guarantor so that she could take out a loan from the bank. When Kid refused, she had threatened to end the relationship, certain that the redhead would give in. However, she had not anticipated that Kid had felt discontented for quite some time. Knowing that he didn't have the means to make her happy, Kid had agreed to the break-up with graciousness.

Before he knew it, she had flung her drink at him, cup and all. The glass shattered as it hit him on the temple, and Kid felt a sharp pain over his eye.

He had not expected the attack, and the shock from both her anger and his injury left him rooted to the spot.

"You've never loved me, have you?!"

Those were the last words she said before she stormed out of his apartment.

But it wasn't true. She was a charming girl, and Kid had always found her really cute and beautiful. When they first started dating, he had resolved to work hard to make her happy; he wanted to do the best he could for her. Yet it had all meant nothing. In the end, his resolution never came to fruition, and she had never felt his love.

He knew he could have averted this whole situation by becoming her guarantor, but Kid couldn't bring himself to do it. It only served to highlight their different priorities in life, so Kid had chosen to let go of the relationship. On hindsight, he guessed he couldn't blame her for assuming that he'd never loved her.

The next day, Law came home sporting a large bruise on his cheek.

The previous day, Law had made his way to his boyfriend's apartment to spend the night, as was their weekly custom. However, his lover wasn't alone; there was an unknown man clinging to his boyfriend's arm. Law had stood frozen at the door in shock, and before he knew it, his boyfriend had rushed forward, aiming a punch at his face. Having no time to defend himself, Law had taken the blow, falling to the ground at the impact. In a daze, Law heard his boyfriend speaking to the other male.

"Don't worry about him, darling. He's just a desperate stalker who just won't leave me alone."

It was a cold voice, filled with hate. Law felt his boyfriend grab him by the shirt and yank him upwards. Lifting his gaze, Law met the other man's eyes. In that moment, he sensed the murderous contempt the other felt for him, and fearing for his safety, Law had fled.

He couldn't recall how or where he spent the night. But now, as Law stood before the entrance to Kid's apartment, he felt almost dazed and took a few deep breaths. He didn't know if it was a good or bad thing, but having experienced so many failed relationships, his mind had already moved past the shock. Instead, he was working hard to come up with a plausible reason why he had been dumped again.

Perhaps he had cared too much. Throughout their relationship, Law had made it a point to cook breakfast and dinner for his boyfriend every day, as well as packing boxed lunches for him to take to work. He had also taken it upon himself to clean the apartment whenever he could. However, his boyfriend had not appreciated his efforts, and would frequently get angry over how Law had "messed up his things". He was also often yelled at over the way he did the chores; the man was never satisfied with the way Law did the laundry, down to the way he folded the clothes and arranged them in the closet. Law had done his best to adjust to his boyfriend's demands, but now, it seemed like it had all been in vain.

Opening the door, he entered the apartment and moved to Kid's room, quietly joining the redhead at the low table set in the middle of the room.

"I got dumped again," he whispered as he gave Kid a bitter smile.

The TV was on, but Kid was staring out the window at the sky, smoking a cigarette. The lights were off, but the sunlight illuminated the room, and that was when Law spotted the bruise forming on Kid's temple.

It wasn't the first time he'd seen Kid like this, nor was it the first time Kid had witnessed a bruised and battered Law. Even without speaking, they could guess what had happened to the other.

The smell of cigarette smoke filled the room. Law pulled a pack out from his back pocket and lit up a stick of his own.

"Don't."

"Speak for yourself."

There was nothing funny about the exchange, but Law giggled all the same.

"Eustass-ya... Are you hungry? I can cook something."

Their eyes met.

"Did you get that bruise yesterday? You ok?" Kid asked brusquely.

"It's alright. I'm used to it."

It was true, Law was used to violence. The realization made his heart clench a little in pain.

"How about Eustass-ya, are you ok?"

"My finances are intact, I've been working lots of overtime, after all."

Law knew about Kid's frugal nature. The redhead took his job seriously, frequently putting in overtime and even working on holidays. Thus, it was typical of the redhead to gloss over his failed relationships, choosing to focus on an aspect of his life that gave him security.

When Law had first moved in, Kid had apologized the mess in the spare room. In actuality, there was not much clutter at all, and over the year, the room had slowly filled up with Law's things. Looking around Kid's room now, the fact that there was not a single excessive item stood out all the more starkly.

That was just how Kid was. He would scrimp and save on himself, yet spend extravagantly on his lover. It was even reflected in his wardrobe; Kid owned little else aside from the suits he needed for work. His shoes were mostly worn to the sole, a testament to how he chose to walk everywhere, as opposed to getting a car or taking public transportation.

"Such a waste..."

"Huh?"

"It's nothing..."

But yes, it was a waste. Kid was definitely not your average guy, but he was truly a good man inside. It was really too bad none of his girlfriends had appreciated that.

"You have the worst luck with women, Eustass-ya."

"You're not any better. Be more careful next time."

Kid stubbed out his cigarette in the overflowing ashtray, then released a sigh. Law extinguished his own stick shortly afterwards.

"You said you'll cook, but I don't think there's anything in the fridge."

"Then let's go out together to get some groceries. Anything you wanna eat?"

"Hotpot...?"

It was cute, how Kid always chose dishes that usually served two. Law was also thankful that Kid had chosen something that required minimal time and effort to prepare. The redhead must be hungry.

Law stood, and Kid followed suit after switching off the TV. Grabbing their wallets, the two put on their jackets as they headed for the entryway.

"How about the soup?" Law asked.

"Miso will be good."

Law glanced at the kitchen clock. It was almost evening, the time when most groceries went on sale. The supermarket would surely be crowded.

"If we're having miso, then let's get the normal cabbage instead. It'll taste better than chinese cabbage."

"Sounds good. We'll get some beer too."

"Some rice as well. I can make it into a gruel to add to the hotpot."

Opening the door, they stepped out into the cold evening air.

"You're making me real hungry..."

In the fading light, Kid looked even more exhausted. Law wondered if the redhead had eaten anything at all that day. Probably not, judging by how the usually neat man hadn't even bothered to empty the overflowing ashtray in his room.

"Why are you hungry?"

"Because... I'm alive...?"

Despite his exhaustion, Kid remained patient with Law, even supplying an answer to his silly question, like a doting parent would to a child.

"By the way, there's nothing good on TV tonight."

"Let's rent some DVDs then."

The thought of hotpot and beer while watching DVDs lit a spark of happiness in Law's heart.

"How about that movie that just came out?"

"Which one?"

Unable to recall the title nor the lead actor's name, Law could only supply a vague summary of the plot.

"I really don't know which one you're talking about," Kid finally said with a chuckle.

"I wonder if they're still having that sale, where you'll get a discount for renting 5 DVDs."

"What are we gonna do with 5? There's no time to watch them all."

"Oh, that's true."

Their light-hearted banter continued as they walked down the street together. The sun was slowly setting over the horizon, and Law briefly wondered if the next day would be sunny.

And thus, carrying their slightly heavy burdens of misery, the two continued on with their lives.

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><p>Please leave a review or comment if you can. All of them will be translated and presented to the original author. (・ω・*)<p>

**darkimpulse**: I knowwwww! This story's gonna be really cute so I hope you'll enjoy it~

**Shiina Yuki**: Hope you enjoyed this new chapter! ^_^

**LittleScarlet**: Do let me know how you predict the story will progress. Would love to hear your thoughts!

**omnomnom**: Haha totally true! Let's hope this turns out well for Kid and Law!

**snoopypompom**: Thank youuuuu! Haha this story is actually already completed on pixiv, with 60 chapters, and the author is currently writing a sequel now. So you'll have to stick around for quite a while. ;)

**ladyevilbunny**: Really hope you'll like this story! *smiles*

**Famelia Ly**: Do look out for the coming chapters to see how these two will progress~ ;)


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